Pushit

hinese entry visa does not look practical for anyone with an independent opinion.

Good Luck! I was but now I'm not going to Olympic Games all torn up !

Looks like this is going to end really well

Since lopburi3 introduced the term, this is as good a place as any to ask: what exactly is an "inverter"?

When I lived in Japan, I thought the term applied to "heat pump" type of units that cooled in the summer and heated in the winter.

I understand the basics (the function of the compressor, condenser and evaporator) of an a "standard" air con system. What does an inverter do differently?

An Inverter changes Alternating Elecrical Curent to Direct Current ie AC to DC.

Areas for aircn calcs should be in cubic metres not square metres, however whatever.

Cheers

Hi I just bought an Asus Eee 4GB Surf Notebook. Does anyone else who has one want to share the good points with me

Go get yourself on of those USB hard-drives for storage and you'll be good.

I just had a lengthly conversation with TrueVisions on their PVR. Finally, after downloading the manual myself off of their site, I was able to determine that the only video out options are RCA and RF out.

In other words, there is no HDMI nor even so much as an S-Video out. My concern is that the picture quality will be no better than what I have now. I'm desperate for a fully functional PVR (or DVR), but don't think I want to spend an expensive 15,000 THB on a video device that doesn't even have a single HDMI output (or S-Video for that matter)? I guess I'll go back to watching things in the middle of the night...or get a bastardized non-TrueVision DVR and hook it up.

Why would True come out with a product that was not updated with the latest video out options??? Wait...I think I know the answer to that.

I've just had a new receiver installed by UBC as my old one was not displaying all the channels since UBC has gone digital. Surprise, surprise the new receiver only has one audio in/out socket so now I can't record anything on my DVD recorder. True Visions are such a bunch of "cheap charlies". Typical ThaiChinese mentality, overcharge the customer by as much as you can get away with, and keep the expenses to a minimum. As long as UBC has a monopoly things won't change soon.

As long as UBC has a monopoly things won't change soon. First rule in Thai business practice.

Tourism authority launches dog travel project

The Tourism Authority of Thailand, over the past weekend, launched caravans marked with the slogan “Take Your Dogs To Plant Trees” from Wachirabenjathat Park, locally known as Suan Rod Fai to five different routes through the nation.

The campaign, aimed to promote domestic tourism destinations among dog lovers, is divided into 5 major routes beginning from Bangkok to destinations including Petchaburi, Prachinburi, Prachuap Kiri Khan, Saraburi, and Petchaburi provinces.

Tourism and Sport Minister, Weerasak Kosurat, who also chaired the opening ceremony, said the campaign drew up to 300 participants in its launch.

Also joining the campaign were celebrities Aem Sirapapha Sukdamrong who brought her tiny Siberian husky dog to the event and Aum Thanicha Ditsayabutr also brought her shitsu dog as well.

- ThaiNews / 28-04-08

Slogan should read " Take Your Dogs To Pee n Trees"

I get the feeling then that i dont need to spend 15k+ and a 6k ish will be okay and not fall apart?

Carrefour or Lotus

Well, I'm sorry but whenever I see the pictures of the candidates on the election posters, all splendidly rigged out in their uniforms, a couple of phrases always come to mind:

1. Would you buy a used car from this person?

2. Banana Republic.

Just my jaundiced perception

DM

1. Would you buy a used car from this person? No but I sold a used car to one of them!!!

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: April 28th 2008

VENGEFUL IRISHMAN SUSPECTED OF SETTING PATTAYA BUNGALOW ON FIRE PIQUED BY WIFE‘S NEW AFFAIR

A Thai woman house owner returned from a dinner-date with a new foreign boyfriend on April 28, 2008, to find her bungalow in Pattaya Park Hill 2 had suffered considerable fire damage. She suspected her jealous Irish husband had torched the house in a fit of pique over her new affair.

Following an alarm call at 00.10am, on April 28, Pattaya Investigator, Pol.Lt.Col. Thanadet Duengtapiyachai, sent a police investigative team and 10 fire engines from Ta-kien Tia Fire Department, to tackle the fire at a bungalow in Moo Baan Pattaya Park Hill 2.

The rapid response squad arrived to find the bungalow's bedroom on fire with flames and smoke pouring out of the window. Fire fighters took about 10 minutes to extinguish the fire. Fortunately, nobody was injured as the three temporary residents had escaped the flames previously. Officers examined the bedroom and found the contents totally burned out, in addition to fire damage in other parts of the house, amounting all told to an estimated cost of Bt 300,000.

Miss Uraiwan Busaba (29), the house owner, told police that she had gone out for dinner with her new foreign boyfriend, leaving her three relatives in the house. She said that her Irish husband, Mr. William Francis Manuel, had originally given her the money to buy the house. Recently, however, she'd had a dispute with her husband and wanted to arrange a separation.

Miss Uraiwan told police that her relatives, who were staying in the bungalow at the time, told her that at the start of the fire her husband had been in the house. However, shortly after, he had run out of the house, ignoring the fire. She suspected that her vengeful husband could well have been the one who set the house on fire in retaliation for her having gone out for dinner with another foreign boyfriend. Accordingly, police will search for Miss Uraiwan's husband, who is currently missing, to further investigate the real cause of the fire.

Arson is a serious crime in LOS

BMA hopes to construct world's tallest viewpoint tower

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is hoping to construct the world's tallest viewpoint tower in the capital.

This tower will reveal Bangkok's spectacular scenes from the birdeye's view.

"The BMA City Planning Department has surveyed the capital and has already come up with some recommended spots," Deputy Bangkok Governor Bannasopit Mekwichai said Sunday.

She said the plan to construct the viewpoint tower in Bangkok was in line with Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung's policy.

-- The Nation 2008-04-28

Waste of resources, who wants a "Birdseye Look" over a shambles like Bangkok. This won't happen, just another waste of time. "Achievement" Sure

i dont remember it as cyberia , i'm talking about the late eighties , early nineties. maybe the cafe before cyberia.

Was it "Pan Pan" used to eat in their Patpong branch years ago good piza for the era. dam_n i'M OLD now

No idea, but it sounds like a good one. The area is a disgrace and needs tidying up.

I'm sure that a couple of the establishments will relocate somewhere, such as Bourbon Street which has a good reputation and may do even better in another location.

It would be nice though, if BMA had a look at the way it is redeveloping the city and followed a few of the practices that S'pore has done in recent years in maintaing certain areas in a nice way, rather than just building malls and condo's.

Totally agree.

Its a minging sh!thole, with Bourbon Street being the exception.

I realize that things always change with time but I thought this was worth mentioning.

Back in the 1960s and 70s one of the guys who owns a bar in WS was the manager of a bar on Patpong. Patpong was quite different then. I hated to see things change down the road but change is always certain. I've always missed The Missisppi Queen Bar that was on Patpong during the 60s and 70s. This was a fun place with hot and cold running pooying ontap.

The era that I speak of was also the pre AIDS era and while you could catch some badass VD it wasn't fatal if you saw a doctor. Oh how I miss my youth some days.

Not to mention Purple Flying Machine and Kangaroo Bar !!! Lorettas on Soi Cowboy

Semper Fi!

In Deed

They are all Special Forces guys who would Kung <deleted> you for buying up all of their Wheaties!

JUSMAG is protected by US Marines soI'd leave their wheaties alone LOL

As a long-time fan of all sorts of yummy American foodstuffs, I wonder, how come there is no real specialized deli/grocery store in Bangkok? Or at least none that I know of?

Never been there myself, but I would've thought Jusmag was the place for American goods?

Is that in the American Embassy? I've heard some rumblings about it also, but what are the chances they would allow anyone to walk in and buy stuff? Also, any idea what they might have? I remember thinking at the time that one shelf of food in an office would not have much in the way of variety.

It's not in the embassy, it's somewhere on Sathorn Rd. Unfortunately, it appears to be accessible only to US government personnel.

While I would love to see an "American" store, I would have serious doubts as to its viability.

"JUSMAG" or "Joint United States Military Advisory Group" is unlikely to allow civilian access to their PX store.

The OP makes a good point as to why there are no full service American Delicatessens' in Thailand

What brand of inexpensive fire extinguisher would you recommend for single apartment use? (therefore, just a small one but capable of fighting even gas and electrical fires)

Where would it be available at a low price in Bangkok?

I don't mean low quality... it's just that I've seen "big name" stores in Thailand mark-up prices like crazy when products can be bought at less than half the price in another part of town, or even direct from the supplier which isn't hard to find in many cases.

You should consider CO2 extinguishers of choice and a fire retarant blanket in your kitchen in case of an oil/cooking fire. As you live in an apartment building Ensure you have a clear escape plan and route as it can easily be someone in another apartment that starts a fire.

Confirm with building management that the fire alarm system is operational and regularly tested/certified.

These human specimens are psycologial Nazi anal retentives' but of course should be allowed to parade around in "uniforms" to get the attention they crave, no skin off anyones' nose and good for a laugh.

Of course you have a degree in psycologial

Dude It's Psycology, Yes

I've seen a few act as translators between tourists and the boys in brown, I guess thats a good thing.

Agree: they must be good for something

Since my wife will be the one pushing it and her skills with ANYTHING motorized are non-existant, I, meaning she needs just a regular old fashioned push mower. Oh yeah...will she need a work permit??

Get goats, teach wife to make cheese, voila Greek salad...

Just returned from a few days in Isaan - Namphong about 35km north of Khon Kaen. I haven't been up there for a while (5 years), and found the whole experience very enjoyable, except for

the <deleted>(king loudspeakers starting right outside the window at 5.45 am at high volume, shattering the peace with first a news bulletin, then some traditional music, then some local <deleted> babbling on and laughing at his own jokes. This continued 'til 0800 when the national anthem played, only then was I able to enjoy the local dogs barking and people driving past on 2 stroke motorbikes with no exhausts.

I wonder if this happens across all villages in the region, and how farangs living there cope with that. I suppose its possible to get used to anything after a while, but by god how awful.

This was the only wart on an otherwise very pretty face.

You are lucky. My house is in the middle of 2 speaker systems. When one stops the other one starts.

I ask the wife and neighbours what they say and they reply , dont know , dont listen.

Okay..Ladder and wire cutters is your solution, do it before daylight!

But i am still puzzled about one thing... even given that you were stupid enough to not carry a wad of cash with you over and above what you needed , for obvious reasons, why didn't you sort out the "payment" asap after arrest.? You have been in Thailand years so must have loads of contacts who could have got the money to where it was needed and you would have walked free. In fact you could probably have got yourself escourted to the nearest ATM anyway. And you can speak and understand Thai.!!

Can you explain why you didn't secure your own release when to do so would have been easy?

The police in Ranong asked for 100,000 Baht but gave me only a few hours to make arrangements. Unfortunately I just had bought a new mobile phone about 10 days ago and hadn't saved my friend's numbers yet (the old one was stolen, so it wasn't just a matter of changing the sim card). Additionally to that the battery was very low which allowed me to use it only a few times anyway. I tried contacting 3 friends, 2 of whose numbers I retrived from an SMS and one whose number I had memorized. Both guys I managed to contact couldn't help me with that kind of money (except for 5 foreigners all my friends in Thailand are average earning Thais). After spending the night at the police station I was brought to prison early next morning where I had to hand over my phone. There are no mobile phones allowed, the only way to contact people outside is to write a letter if you know their address. People who are brought to prison only to await their sentence can apply for bail but if you can't contact anyone it's impossible to get of course.

We have a Troll here,unless of course Thai prisons provide internet cafes' Sayonara!!

I haven't seen any of these farangs who dress up in uniforms and supposedly help the Thai police for a long time, but I did spot one at the beginning of Songkran and was instantly filled with embarrasment on their behalf.

I know that they are supposedly doing a good deed, but I feel certain that something is seriously wrong with anyone who would take on such a job unless they were in severe financial straits and getting paid a salary. I will admit that I am willing to sink to any low to remain in Thailand, including teaching at a University.

I know that p1p volunteered for this program at one time - so there must be a few good ones - but, he seems to have quit as soon as possible since I never saw him marching around in a policeman suit.

Am I the only one who feels this way about these guys?

These human specimens are psycologial Nazi anal retentives' but of course should be allowed to parade around in "uniforms" to get the attention they crave, no skin off anyones' nose and good for a laugh.

Just returned from a few days in Isaan - Namphong about 35km north of Khon Kaen. I haven't been up there for a while (5 years), and found the whole experience very enjoyable, except for

the <deleted>(king loudspeakers starting right outside the window at 5.45 am at high volume, shattering the peace with first a news bulletin, then some traditional music, then some local <deleted> babbling on and laughing at his own jokes. This continued 'til 0800 when the national anthem played, only then was I able to enjoy the local dogs barking and people driving past on 2 stroke motorbikes with no exhausts.

I wonder if this happens across all villages in the region, and how farangs living there cope with that. I suppose its possible to get used to anything after a while, but by god how awful.

This was the only wart on an otherwise very pretty face.

That's the time people wake up in the morning! Not you apparenty.

Ok folks, so here’s what happened.

As ever I got it all round my neck, or more likely, it wasn’t properly explained to me due to the language barrier.

It turns out that I was scheduled to have a “virtual” CT colonoscopy, as opposed to the real thing. I have now Googled this procedure, and it would seem it is a very new procedure that does the job equally well and avoids the intrusive nature of a conventional colonoscopy. They put a tube up your bum, and then pump your colon full of air to expand it and then take numerous CT pictures of the colon and stomach, (back and front), which then put together to form a virtual image of the colon, and show any polyps or tumours. The procedure takes around and hour, and is uncomfortable as your stomach gets full of gas causing stomach cramps, but I guess it is better than having a camera stuck up your inside.

For those who wish to know more about this procedure, here are a couple of informative websites.

virtual colonoscopy

virtual colonoscopy2

After it was finished I asked to see a doctor. They told me my appointment was not until Thursday, which I knew, but I insisted in speaking to someone. Eventually the radiologist came to see me and advised that only the doctor could give me a 100% accurate account of the test. I said: “how about 50 %?), and he said, “OK”. Ten minutes later he had a picture of my colon up on a VDU and showed it to me. He said there was a tiny polyp in the stomach about 3.5 mm which wasn’t causing any problems, and the colon was completely clear of tumours. The stomach looked inflamed, which he suggested was caused by whatever was giving me the diarrhoea

So there we are – I’ll make the appointment on Thursday but in the meantime will start a course of Flagyl.

Thanks to all you who wished me luck, as it seems to have worked.

A load off my mind.

QUOTE (Mobi @ 2008-04-11 14:41:59) *

Well ever since I was discharged from hospital more than 3 weeks ago I have been suffering from severe diarrhoea – like at least 6 times a day, and very watery – in fact after the food is gone, it is all water.

After 8 days the hospital took a sample, and reported nothing wrong.

I consulted 2 doctors in Pattaya and they both prescribed antibiotics.

So as there was no improvement I consulted a doctor at Phya Thai Hospital in Sri Racha this morning. He said that the antibiotics would have cured me by now if it had been ‘microbes’ or whatever. He has booked me in for a colonoscopy and said it might be cancer.

I have been Googling the symptoms on various websites and only the Mayo clinic mentions diarrhoea as a symptom. All the other sites don’t mention it - just constipation or a change in the stool size, and frequency of passing etc.

There are a number of other symptoms, but the only ones I have are diarrhoea, a gassy stomach, and general fatigue. There has been no weight loss, and I can’t detect any blood in my ‘water’, and I still have a reasonable appetite.

Anyone else out there had colon cancer who may be able to reassure me? unsure.gif

And if I have got it - assuming I've caught it early - what is the survival rate? huh.gif

I had symptoms like this, doctor at BKK Christian said irritated bowel syndrome, went on for ages. Then a friend advised that a high fiber

diet may help, especially high fiber muesli at breakfast. It worked and symptoms haven't returned for years. Try changing to high fiber diet.

Good Luck

There you go, lucky guy

Bank of Thailand orders financial institutions to prepare for disease outbreak

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has asked commercial banks and financial institutions across the country to develop their own contingency plans to cope with the risk of disease outbreaks that may affect the financial sector.

In a circular, the Bank of Thailand ordered all commercial banks and financial institutions to draw up a plan to enable businesses to operate in the event of an outbreak such as influenza, and the human-to-human transmission of avian flu.

One of the key objectives of the exercise according to the central bank is to ensure that any disease outbreak would pose no threat to the functioning of the country's banking and financial service system.

Among the questions that banks and financial institutions must address in the outbreak contingency plan exercise includes how to carry on delivering services and how outbreaks impact the well-being of their staff, together with other preventive measures and responses.

In drawing up the plan, the banks and financial institutions are also asked to assess the risk of disease outbreak on their operations and to plan how to cope with possible consequences such as defaulting on loans, a liquidity crunch and soaring demand for credits, particularly in vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, tourism and the service industries.

-- TNA 2008-04-16

Common risk management, this statement is amateurish; risk management assessment is a professional obligation to be performed Before financial commitments are entered into.